Ab Intra
by Maddithong
Summary: And yet instead of hating herself, she just wanted more. HG/DM Oneshot
1. Part 1

**Ab Intra**: From Within

Chapter 01

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><p>Hermione Granger was always careful. Careful was her middle name-Along with smart, determined, and ambitious. Others would also say she's annoying and prideful. But of course, those statements weren't true at all, and had absolutely no logical proof or reliable sources.<p>

Following such events with dangerous wizards and unimaginable monsters, she knew when to take a step back and think things through. She knew when to turn around and go to a professor or to Dumbledore when things really got ugly. But then she belonged to Gryffindor, and her bravery shined bright along with her capabilities of getting into very, very ugly situations.

And so the girl found herself in one of those very, very ugly situations.

The brunette hugged the large stone in front of her as she peered over the side of it. Curiosity was the first to get hold of her. Finishing up a meeting with Professor McGonagall about their latest Transfiguration class, she noticed the familiar silver head stomp off towards Hagrid's hut. But the boy wasn't going there; he was just pacing, back and forth over a patch of grass. So much so that he was wearing it down into a pile of dead dirt.

Now Hermione knew when to keep her distance. At first, she convinced herself that following him was just a precaution, to make sure he wasn't doing his usual activities which resulted in disaster. She wanted to make sure he wasn't going to Hagrid to attempt yet again to kick the poor man out of Hogwarts.

Now she was just worried.

Draco Malfoy was yes, considered to be her best friend's greatest rival, and yes, was the one who was brave enough to call her _mudblood_. However she was kind at nature, seeing someone in such distress really picked at her heartstrings, no matter how evil they were.

The boy shouted at the sky with a fist for the hundredth time, making her shrink behind her cover.

What really could make such a heartless shrew get so upset? Taking another peek, Hermione clutched her chest to hide a gasp. Malfoy was now sitting on the ground, back to her, head collapsed into his hands, body obviously shaking from cries.

She wasn't worried anymore. She was scared.

What happened to the laughing brat who found enjoyment in others suffering? He just seemed so small, so helpless in his loneliness. Perhaps the many years of bullying and making others cry finally crashed down on him, perhaps he was realizing his mistakes, and the pain he caused.

Hermione Granger was also one who believed in forgiveness.

And so with one step, she approached him. And with silence, she bent down and wrapped her arms around his shivering shoulders.

He froze from shock, and did not breathe until the smell of pumpkin filled the girl's senses. There was no movement, only the grass danced with the breeze, and Hermione let silver hair tickle her forehead. Her heart had ceased to beat. Fear and regret played with her mind, but she did not pull away, she did not falter.

"I forgive you." She whispered, and like an explosion, the boy's body shook with violent sobs as his head was buried into her wrapped arms.

Later she found out that Malfoy's mother had passed on, and he never had the chance to ask for forgiveness in becoming the man he never wanted to be.

After that afternoon, everything changed.

Hermione watched him from across the room as they sat at their designated tables and ate their usual hearty dinner. He never spoke a word to her, barely even a glance. But when he did catch her eye, he held her stare with little emotion. There was no cool tint to his gray eyes; they were as empty as she assumed them to be.

When she held him on that sunny day, they remained there as long as it took, so long the sun was already hiding behind the looming castle. Her arms had grown tired, but she did not move away, and even then, she let her emotions escape enough to soak his own dark robes with silent tears.

He had stood up and showed his back to her in a final moment of appreciation before walking away.

That was all she really needed.

"You notice Malfoy has been really weird lately?" Ron Weasley said with a mouthful of potatoes, noticing his friend's steady gaze towards Slytherin. Hermione immediately became infatuated with her beans.

"Yeah," Harry said from across the table. "He missed out on like, 16 chances to bring up your family, Ron."

"Even Snape was waiting for something witty last potions class." Ron agreed.

"Maybe he's changed." Both boys stared at Hermione with wide eyes and open mouths.

"What? Are you completely _bonkers_?" Food sprayed all over the place from Ron's mouth.

"This _is _Malfoy we're talking about." Harry picked chunks of food from his cloak.

"Are you that heartless?" With a loud bang, and a voice a bit too raised, Hermione stood up and collected her things. Leaving her stunned friends, and a bunch of curious students, she ran out of the room and up stone steps to her sanctuary.

Never has been as disappointed in them as she was at that moment. She took a step that no one was brave enough to do. She pushed the past behind her, and welcomed a poor soul into her arms for the sake of everyone. Yet they had the balls to—with a pause, she took a breath, and continued up the stairs at a slower pace.

Then she stopped again. Hermione had to do homework.

"Did you forget something, love?" A painting of a fat, jolly woman asked from the wall, her nose titled upwards as she sniffed at a crimson glass of wine.

"Only the one thing I cannot afford to forget!" Hermione called as she bounded down the stairs two at a time, her eyes set on a quiet table in the library.

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><p><strong>AN**: The next part is a million times better, I swear.


	2. Part 2

**Ab Intra**: From Within

Chapter 02

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><p>It took the girl but moments to reach her favorite place in the school. She sat herself down in a comfortable corner in between the tall shelves of History; many hours were spent with pure satisfaction in expanding her knowledge in such subject. With a flick of her wrist, Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out three large books, four smaller ones, a dozen or so pieces of parchment, a couple quills, and her scratched out notes on her paper entitled: 'Morality of Metamorphmagi'.<p>

Her stomach began to tense with anticipation and determination. The feelings that she felt were only comparable to when Harry Potter took to the skies on his broomstick. This was what she was not only good at, but she was the best, and she damn well enjoyed it.

Before she could bury her curly-haired head into her books, a creak in the floorboards from behind the bookshelves made her squint ahead. The lamp on her table emitted only enough faint light to cover five or so feet, and the sounds came from the dark. A finger twitched towards her wand. She froze as all went quiet.

"Who's there?" Her voice cracked as she asked the silence.

"Granger." A spark of white slithered out of the shadows, seeing a familiar face made Hermione draw away from her wand with a sigh of relief.

"Malfoy." She caught herself. Why was she relieved to see Malfoy? He only crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned on one of the shelves beside him. "What are you doing here?"

"Studying, obviously." He gestured to the books around him.

"I find that hard to believe." Hermione snorted.

"What you think everyone can just make it through school with just reputation like _Potter_?" There was venom accompanied with the name.

"No, but some can make it by with rich, malicious parents who scare people into doing their bidding." Hermione bit back as she straightened up in her chair, her chocolate eyes danced with fire as the little light in the room made her expression seem relentless. The boy found himself straightening as well under such an intense stare. There were plenty of smart-ass remarks waiting to be spat, but he only held his mouth shut.

"I'm sorry." Hermione whispered as she eased due to his silence. Her eyes were glued to the ground in shame, but she felt his presence as he sat down on a chair at her table. He left the one in the middle to separate them.

"Don't." He said as he dragged a finger along the spines of many books. She glanced up at him curiously.

"Why are you really here?"

"_Merlin_, Granger!" Malfoy stared down the table at her with disgust and annoyance. "Are you honestly _that_ dimwitted?"

"Well _excuse me_!" She stared back at him full of attitude. "So _sorry_ that I can't read minds!" The boy scoffed loudly as he shook his head and glared up at the ceiling. Hermoine slammed her fist down. "Tell me or go away!"

"Dammit!" He stood up so fast his chair scraped against the floor with a screech. He went to walk away, but paused and walked up so close to the girl, he was bending his neck to look down at her. "I just..." Turning away, he went to walk again, but didn't. He faced her again. "You know what?" Another pause. He spun around yet again. "You..." A shaking hand pointed at Hermione's puzzled face. She blinked.

"I just wanted to..." He was gritting his teeth, having troubles saying words; he couldn't even look the poor girl in the eyes. He dropped his hand. "Say I'- -..."

"What was that?" Even with the small distance between the two, the girl had troubles picking up a single word from his lips. When she leaned in closer to hear better, she immediately had to pull far away as Malfoy lunged out.

"I _said _I'm fucking sorry! Dammit Granger, _I swear to Merlin_, you are so... so..." There was a pause in his advance as he decided to choose his next word carefully; Hermione's gaze on him was too intense. "_Ridiculous_."

"Wait, _ridiculous_?" Hermione almost burst out with laughter at the flustered expression on Draco Malfoy's face. He opened his mouth to respond, but there were no clever remarks to wipe the smile off her. He only stood there as her childish grin made his face grow with temperature and color.

"I meant to say annoying as well." A snort came from the girl. He got even more flustered. "And did I mention quite hideous?" Hermione was now burying her head into a book and pounding her hand on the table. "Dammit... you, you _mudblood!_" Finally the girl burst out with cries of laughter at the poor boy's attempts at insulting her when she knew he was trying his best not to.

"Wait, wait please!" She huffed after silver hair as she noticed its owner stomp off out of the library. He was utterly embarrassed, from what she could tell, so she called after him as they made their way down the dark corridors. She almost ran straight into his back as he stopped abruptly in front of her.

"Pathetic." He spoke through tight teeth.

"Oh come off it." Hermione was now tired of hearing silly words.

"Not you." Malfoy said, turning his head slightly to the side, so he could see her.

"What... what do you mean?"

"I can't apologize properly." He blubbered to himself. "I can't even go a moment without spouting out an insult. I am... pathetic." It was frustration in his voice, but he let his head drop to his chest in defeat. Hermione watched him with shock; she reached her hand out to touch him but drew it away as it grazed over his shoulder. Almost immediately, he spun around and closed the distance between them. They were so close Hermione felt his breath warm her face.

"_Why_? Why are you so intrigued with my misery?" There was a spark of intelligence in his pale eyes, and the girl felt them search her own for answers and secrets. She almost shuddered. "Am I amusing to you? Am I like one of your little books?" With the small distance between the two, and the way his whispers started to caress her ears, Hermione could only gaze at him in wonder, and wonder at herself for seeing Malfoy in a way she never saw him before.

"Did you want to become best friends? Let me feel safe in confiding in you? Or perhaps... you want more?" It was then he reached up and let his fingers run up her smooth chin, pulling her head up to look at him better. Chocolate eyes grew wide in shock. He only smiled slightly. "Is this correct?"

"I... N-no..." She said misty-eyed. "I just want to help."

"Help?" He asked while withdrawing his hand but not moving away. "What if the help I ask from you is... immoral..." The way he hissed his last word made Hermione back away slightly, a frown wrinkling her forehead.

"What do you mean...?"

"What if I ask things of you that are frowned upon, things that your friends would definitely not approve of?"

"I don't understand." She was backing away slowly as he stepped closer, footstep by footstep. There was no defeat in his demeanor, only a strange mix of amusement and something else she could not identify. Finally her back hit stone and Malfoy had her pined with a smile.

"Let me show you, and then you can decide, hmm?" His body pushed her even closer against the wall, and his breath tickled her lips as he leaned into her. A hand came up and brushed a couple strands of curly hair away as the other held tight to her waist. Hermione could only shudder in fright and anticipation as he exhaled into her mouth once more.

Then their lips touched.

With a simple kiss Hermione's senses exploded with the faint taste of spices and the smell of pumpkin. Her body shuddered as her heart refused to beat and her limbs refused to move. The way his mouth moved against hers, the way his tongue worked at her teeth, it was enough to make her growl for more.

"Ah." Malfoy pulled away and stared at her, his eyes were laughing. "Something like that, I suppose."

"I..." Hermione was gone, head in the clouds. She felt as if her legs were butter, and she was about to melt onto the floor in a pile of goo. She had just done the unthinkable, she did something that if her friends were to find out, she would most definitely be shunned by every single Gryffindor in the school. Hermione Granger just kissed Harry Potter's ultimate rival, Draco Malfoy.

And yet instead of hating herself, she just wanted more.

"Are you up for the challenge, Granger?" The boy was back to his usual smug self, folding his arms and grinning with pride. Normally Hermione would find that as a turn off, but she didn't.

"I don't know..." She said, feeling the wall behind her as if to steady herself. The stone felt cool against her hot skin.

"It's simple." He shrugged. "You _do_ want to help, don't you?"

"Well… Yes, but—"

"Good." He said triumphantly. "Counseling sessions start tomorrow then. Don't worry about the details; I'll seek you out when it's time." He then trotted away, leaving Hermione to fall to her knees stunned, trembling fingers still touching her lips.

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><p><strong>AN**: Hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did. Don't forget to check out my other stories on my profile.


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